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Totally fresh comments, never canned. . . catch up on all of the community happenings here.

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  • Weekly Report: Better late than never?

    Announcements

    Game Night Alert!
    A variety of editorial staff members plan to spend a couple hours with you in Battlefield Bad Company 2 on Wednesday, March 31. There will be staff across a variety of platforms! The game night features page has also been updated with the upcoming game night schedule.

    Upcoming Box Hunt
    We’re going to have Star Wars games this time around. Why? Because we have a Star Wars retail game to give away. More details to follow.

    Member Spotlight

    The latest member spotlight goes to buft for his Xbox Live Game Room impressions. Buft outlines the ins and outs, along with screenshots of what he’s done to his game room. You can also see buft’s game room in last Thursday's episode of Today on the Spot.

    Staff Fingerprints

    - Ricardo Torres will be speaking at an Activision panel during WonderCon next week.
    - Giancarlo Varanini shares his thoughts about GameSpot’s Nintendo DS 3D Gut Reactions feature.
    - Brendan Sinclair buys arcade compilations

    Featured User Videos

    - Azghouls plans on updating us every now and then with video blogs.
    - Blaketoberfest shares his Nintendo e-Reader collection of cards.

    User Reviews

    Nintendo Wii/DS
    - Max & the Magic Marker: Pierst179
    - Pokemon SoulSilver Version: khoofia_pika
    - Dead Space Extraction: loopy_101
    - Silent Hill: Shattered Memories: dark_being

    PlayStation 3/PlayStation 2/PSP
    - Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time: stephenage
    - God of War: ZanarkandTidus
    - Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days: Domstercool

    Xbox 360
    - Mushihimesama Futari Ver 1.5: NeonNinja
    - Perfect Dark: The_Game21x
    - Resident Evil 5: Lost in Nightmares: AK_the_Twilight

    PC
    - Quake II - Zaero: Mission Pack: Azghouls
    - Command & Conquer: Gelugon_baat

    Blog Bunker

    - Mar044 shares how to get the kamikaze trophy in Heavy Rain.
    - david_lck thinks about cel-shaded games.
    - Weltanschauung1 did a dynamic art study of BioShock.
    - subyman demonstrates his thoughts about the Nintendo DS.

    Top 5 Forum Topics

    GGD: God of War 3 dedicated discussion thread won’t stop growing.
    OT: Which villain below got a bad rap unfairly?
    PC and Mac: How healthy are PC gamers?
    PS3: Go chill out in the Laid Back Lounge!
    X360: Will the Game Room night get any better?

    Tip of the Week

    This week's tip shares how you can increase your chances of winning the prize of your choice.

  • Tip of the Week: More TOTS Trivia

    The latest frequently asked questionis about Today on the Spot trivias. I’d like to remind you about this older Tip of the Week about TOTS trivia and share some more tips!

    1. DID YOU WIN?: We won’t leave you in the rain on this one. You actually receive an e-mail notifying you that you have won something. If we have a moment to announce the winners to the world, we also display your real name in the Producer’s Note blog and/or you might get a mention in an episode of Today on the Spot.

    2. WHY ENTER YOUR MAILING ADDRESS?: Make sure you are filling out the trivia form with the mailing address. If you do not use the trivia form but prefer the TOTS e-mail address, include your real name and mailing address. I would have to believe that 90 percent of the users who contact us through the TOTS e-mail are ineligible for a prize because they forget about this tiny little detail. If you are curious about why we don’t select winners and then contact each of them for their mailing address, this is a time-consuming process and there can be a variety of answers to this question. First, let me share why we have you enter your mailing address in the trivia submission form ahead of time.

    Reason 1 - If you are a long-time registrant you might not have updated your mailing address in years. We have had packages returned in the past and we’d prefer being completely certain this prize will not get returned to us.

    Reason 2 - New GameSpot registrants no longer have to enter their mailing address, which means many new accounts won’t have a mailing address for us to send the prize to.

    The other question I receive is about why we don't randomly select users and then contact each of them about their mailing address rather than randomly select users based on them filling out their mailing address.

    Reason 3 - Some countries have limitations on what can be won or mailed. Each country has rules and regulations. We have to consider the item and the value of the item, and then we gather a list of users who are eligible to be randomly selected.

    Reason 4 - We also deal with three days' worth of prizes. The volume of prize mailouts has increased to three times what it was before and there is no staff member dedicated to prize mailouts. We take shifts out of our own work schedules to mail out these prizes, and fewer e-mails back and forth saves us time and effort.

    3. DO YOU HAVE A GAME LIST?: There have been occasions when we give away different platform accessories for the DS, Wii, PS3, or Xbox 360. If you don’t tell us what you’d like, we might take a peek at your GameSpot game library. If you don’t have a game library (collection or tracked list) filled out, we won’t know which accessory to send you. We rarely e-mail winners with a selection of items because there are too many of you to contact for the day (once again, a time-consuming back-and-forth effort and how unfair would it be that we contacted you and not all of you with a selection of items?). When we e-mail you we might be delaying the entire shipment of other GameSpotter prizes, and we'd like to avoid that if possible. If you don't have your game library filled out, you might end up with what was left over if other users told us what they wanted or we took a peek at other GameSpotters' game lists. Check tip 4 if you’d like to also save us even more time by allowing us to skip a peek at your game lists in your profile.

    4. WHICH ITEM?: When answering the trivia, don’t forget to share what you want if you see numerous items available for a specific trivia question. Tell us the T-shirt size you prefer, the platform for an accessory, item (wristband, hat, etc.), and games that you are interested in. Some users have sent us their order of preference, which helps if the item you originally wanted has been given to another winner. There have been occasions when we have a variety of items and if you don’t share what you want we will make a judgment call for you. Why not increase your chances of getting what you actually wanted?

    5. BE SELECTIVE: Remember, when you win one item you will not win the second, third, or fourth trivia item for the day even if you are randomly selected for all of them. If you don’t mind winning one item over another, then you are welcome to answer all of the questions for the trivia session of the day. However, if you really want to win a certain item, answer only that trivia question. That item you really wanted might be overlooked if you already won another trivia item for the day. For an example: User1994 answers trivia question 1 for a T-shirt he doesn’t care about. He also answers trivia question 2 for a platform accessory he really wants, and then he answers trivia question 3 for a stuffed animal he doesn’t care for--all in the same e-mail. If he is randomly selected for the T-shirt and already wins that item, he won’t be eligible for the other two trivia questions even if he is randomly selected for all three items.

  • Weekly Report: Revitalizing TMI!

    Community Activities


    Box Art Hunt Suggestions
    Post your suggestions about what kinds of box art themes you would like to participate in during the coming months.

    Borderlands Schwag
    Gearbox is looking for your feedback about the Borderlands enemies, and in return you have the opportunity to receive some Borderlands schwag. If you're interested in some unique Gearbox schwag, drop by the official community page for details. Gearbox staff plan to pull a list of winners sometime early next week.

    Splinter Cell: Conviction Giveaway
    We recently started linking Raptr accounts with GameSpot accounts. Raptr wanted to give GameSpot users a chance to know about them by giving away a limited edition of Splinter Cell: Conviction. The giveaway offer ends on April 6.

    GameFAQs Limerick Competition
    GameFAQs has a competition about being creative and writing a good limerick that's somehow related to gaming. The top three winners will get GameFAQs karma as a reward. If you are interested in competing, log in with your GameSpot account name and password.

    Emblem Alerts


    Introducing: Visual Street Team!
    So you're surfing the Internet and you come across a video or screenshot of a recent game release or upcoming game yet to be released. Do you think the world can't live without it? Have you found that random, rare video or screenshot on a game publisher or developer Web site that you don't think anyone has seen? Are you astounded that these visuals are not on GameSpot.com for the world to see? Join the Visual Street Team, and be a part of something bigger than yourself! Be a contributor! Earn an emblem!

    Game Night Celebration Trivia
    Much like we did last year, we'll be handing out a celebration participation emblem for those who play in tonight's game night or participate in the trivia. Last year's emblem looked like this. This year's emblem looks like this.

    Additional Emblems Granted
    - cloudwarrior79 won the UK MAG Game Night MVP and was recently granted the Bounty Hunter emblem.
    - Feliscele received the A Winner is Me! emblem for submitting the best homework for The HotSpot podcast.
    - Asagea_888 received the Top 100 Reviewers emblem because one of the GameSpot editors stumbled upon his supreme review writing skills.
    - dark_being received the Spoiler Warning emblem for posting so many videos with game endings.
    - Printul_Noptii received the Fire Your Boss emblem.

    Member Spotlight


    This week's member spotlight goes to Daavpuke, who demonstrates how you don't have to throw away a console just because it breaks.

    Featured User Videos


    - paradiz shares a Cryengine 3 demo presentation.
    - syler4815162342 has nearly six minutes of himself thanking numerous GameSpot users.

    Staff Fingerprints


    - Kevin VanOrd talks about Supreme Commander 2 in his lastest blog.
    - Justin Calvert shares some tips about a tactic in Toy Soldiers on the X360.
    - Chris Watters addresses a concern about the Metro 2033 review.
    - Dan Chiappini shares how someone might get a job at GameSpot Australia.
    - Stanley Lin challenges you to test your game knowledge!
    - Tom Mc Shea talks about the PlayStation and more.
    - Kevin VanOrd and site moderators address why some C&C4 user reviews were removed.
    - GameSpot staff share their favorite games of all time in the Ask GameSpot forum.

    User Reviews


    PC
    - Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Crimsader
    - Borderlands: Gelugon_baat
    - Dark Void: Elk | dark_being
    - S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat: Doctor_kaz
    - Wolfenstein: monco59
    - Mass Effect 2: LGTX

    PS2/PS3/PSP
    - Dante's Inferno: LiK | smm217
    - Heavy Rain: celtic1962 | doctor_kaz | ZanarkandTidus
    - Modern Warfare 2: gdw0908
    - Uncharted 2: Among Thieves: AlmightyMax
    - Mirror's Edge: GeekyDad
    - Dark Void: AzelKosMos
    - Age of Zombies: smm217
    - God of War: Setho10
    - Prince of Persia: Warrior Within: ebbderelict
    - Final Fantasy X: calvinsora
    - Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES: Aberinkulas
    - Darkwatch: ebbderelict
    - SSX 3: Pierst179

    Wii/DS/SNES/GameCube
    - Fragile Dreams: Asagea_888
    - Space Invaders Extreme 2: c_rake
    - No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle: JustPlainLucas
    - Magical Starsign: zh666
    - Pokemon SoulSilver & HeartGold Versions: charizard1605
    - Super Punch-Out!: Garrison_Ford

    X360
    - The Saboteur: celtic1962
    - Battlefield: Bad Company 2: buft | wonderboy_46
    - Mass Effect 2: The_Game21x
    - Mass Effect: NeonNinja

    Reminder: Users featured are emblem holders on the Top 100 or Top 500 reviewers list. Recommend yourself and a friend!

    Blog Bunker


    - AnelZukic and pikaby talk about Final Fantasy.
    - SuperfastSonic thinks about retrospective underwater stages.
    - gamer-clemm and jazzfan4 have some iPhone/iTouch game impressions.
    - LordRork shares how his RPG character had no voice but lived.
    - PSFreak1 has some preliminary God of War II impressions.
    - travisstaggs wrote a Sega Dreamcast console review.
    - BessenStock has an interesting comparison between Bad Company 2 and Modern Warfare 2.
    - Dan_Lero shares his impressions about the Battlefield: Bad Company 2 trophy.

    Tip of the Week


    This week's tip is about the terms "classic" and "style" in posts. Read more about how you can avoid encountering censor bypass complications.

  • Tip of the Week - Classic and Style Solution

    This week's tip is about the terms "classic" and "style" in posts. These words were originally not allowed in HTML. When users try to use these words, it looks like they are trying to censor bypass. The problem is not the words in the message; it's with .html tags in the messaging of "classic" and "style." Here are tips for how I avoid what looks like censor bypassing of these words in the forums, comments, and blogs.

    Type out your message and submit the content. Once you receive the prompt that the words are being masked, go to the WYSIWYG editor and click on the .html icon.

    Go through and remove any .html codes in your post. Resubmit your message, and there will be no masking of the words. Now, if you still want to have your .html added (such as a hyperlink or ubb code), you'll want to carefully add that .html back into your message.

  • Game Night Celebration Trivia

    Our first US Game Night starts at 5 p.m. PT and ends around 7 p.m. PT tonight. Much like last year, we'll be handing out a celebration participation emblem for those who play in tonight's game night or participate in the trivia. Drop by to participate in the Quake Live game night tonight or simply head over to the celebration trivia.

  • Weekly Report: GDC Debriefing

    Announcements


    GDC 2010 Schwag Bundle!
    Want to tell your friends that you attended GDC this year? It might be that easy with the GDC bundle prize we’ll be handing out in tomorrow’s episode of Today on the Spot. Check back tomorrow March 16 at 4 p.m. PT. Also, if you are wondering who won the GDC trivia sessions of the live shows in the past week, check the Video Producer’s news blog for details

    Emblem Alerts
    - GDC 2010 Emblem Update. If you discussed any of the live shows or replays of the GDC video shows, you should check your profile! As of this afternoon, everyone who posted in the video comments from Wednesday through today received the emblem. Unfortunately, if you did not discuss the GDC video shows we had during this window, the opportunity is now closed for GDC 2010. Thanks again to those of you who mingled and posted feedback during GDC!
    - Box Hunt Emblem Granted. The Box Hunt activity for March is over, but you may view the answers. Everyone who participated in this activity received a participation emblem. Check back later this month for the next box hunt activity.

    Additional Notes
    We’ll play catch-up with a new Tip of the Week, non-GDC blogs, user videos, and user reviews in this Friday's weekly report. Additionally, the TOTS community video segment has been pushed back to next week. The person who is featured in this Friday’s weekly report as the member spotlight will be showcased in the following Tuesday’s TOTS video segment. You will want to continue to categorize your blogs as "editorial" content to get noticed by GameSpot Staff.

    Member Spotlight


    Our latest member spotlight, Shmoe82, takes a look at the history of game controllers. His editorial blog is packed with history and he shares photos to offer a visual comparison. We have also added him to the Soapbox.

    Blog Bunker GDC Edition


    There are numerous blogs about the recent announcement of the PlayStation Move. Check out the following blogs written by: coruscant | starduke | Nesysli | Pierst179 | Jonesrm | masterpinky2000 | CyleM | Ninja-Bear | AK_the_Twilight | KingOfOldSkool |.

    We only have a couple of staff fingertip alerts this week. Brendan Sinclair posted GDC Shenanigans and I have some highlights about how GDC went for me, including pictures of the show floor.

    I would also like to give a shout-out to Darthkaiser for his blog about GameSpot's GDC coverage. Thanks for sharing your feedback. E3 is just around the corner!

  • Hello GDC

    A variety of GameSpotters have been posting blogs about GDC this week. I would like to post GDC thoughts shared in your blogs and forum discussions. The content I will be on the lookout for includes:

    - Blogs: If you have an editorial-style blog, just make sure you flag your blog with the "editorial category" in the drop down menu of the blog [example]. This is the easiest way for me to find your blog. If your blog is not what would be considered an editorial, send me a private message with the subject title "GDC community coverage" and provide the link to your blog.

    - Videos/Images: If you plan to attend GDC this year, be sure to upload your pictures and videos on the site. After uploading the content, send me a PM with the subject title "GDC community coverage" and be sure to provide any links of images or videos you would like to share with everyone.

    - Forum Discussions: These can be anywhere on the site, even in some user-created boards and unions. You'll definitely want to send me the links to interesting topics that are worth mentioning.

    Also, if you are interested in the four live GDC shows we plan to have on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, drop by the news announcement page.

  • Weekly Report: Numerous Updates

    Announcements

    Upcoming GDC Coverage!
    Are you getting ready for GDC 2010? We are! Check out the splash page with the counter! We’ll open the chatroom and gather your questions for the live stream, and those of you in chat or discussing in the comments will also receive a GDC emblem on your profiles!

    Raptr Account Linking
    Raptr is a service that makes it easy to track your in-game activity, see what your friends are playing on the PC and Xbox 360, and instant message all of your friends via one buddy list. GameSpot members can now link their Raptr accounts with their GameSpot accounts.

    QuakeLive Game Night
    Let's get together Wednesday, March 17, from 5-7p.m. PT for a game of Quake Live! The client is free, and who can resist a free first-person shooter game? Head on over to the union page to vote for the time you are likely to show. On a related note, the schedule is still being worked out. We plan to change the format of the official game night page to reflect the upcoming schedule instead of the aftermath results.

    Blur X360 Beta Giveaway
    We are giving away Blur multiplayer beta codes you may redeem at the official Blur Web site. Drop by the Blur giveaway page for details.

    Game Board Off-Topic Rules Update
    For those of you who are avid game board posters, you should already know that these forums are powered and moderated by GameFAQs staff and moderators. There have been some updates to the game board topic rules about off-topic forum posting. You should read these changes if you use any of the forums listed on our game pages.

    Spoilers & Quoting in Comments
    We"ve done a little update to allow you to post spoiler and quote tags through blogs, videos, and news stories. Check this week's tip about how you can use these two codes!

    Additional Notes
    - Just-Adam received TheHotSpot emblem.
    - There are no user videos or user reviews in this week's report.
    - The Box Art Hunt activity ends March 12 at 4 p.m. PT.
    - The Thursday episode of Today On the Spot featured the latest Community Spotlight segment.

    Member Spotlight

    This week's member spotlight goes to subyman for his blog about the evolution of role-playing games. Here is an excerpt to get you started:

    Remember the days when the people playing Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger, Baulder's Gate, and a plethora of older classic RPGs were considered either nerds or people without a real life? The "cool" kids played Golden Eye, Unreal Tournament, and Battlefield 1942…

    Blog Bunker

    - Crimsader has a cool list of things that would happen if life were an MMORPG.
    - LJS9502_basic has listed the latest unsung hero from the off-topic forum.
    - gbrading has a nice list of games that are missing in the digital distribution systems.
    - SavoyPrime posted an update with the latest games he has been playing.
    - Spazzx625 briefly explains his Battlefield: Bad Company 2 impressions.
    - T-Prime has a neat blog about the latest happenings in February.
    - Dan_Lero plans to put together a mini video series about the latest gaming topics.

    Tip of the Week

    This week's tip is about the addition of quotes and spoiler tags in the comments. Check out ways to add spoiler and quote tags in the comments.

  • Tip of the Week: Quotes & Spoilers

    This week’s tip is about the addition of spoiler and quoting in comments.

    Quoting

    Code:
    [QUOTE="ADDUSERNAMEHERE"] What are you playing these days? [/QUOTE]
    Check the comments below to see an example of what this looks like.

    Tips

    - Avoid posting numerous quotes for no reason. Limit your quotes to three per comment post for easier reading.
    - Add the username in the code by using the copy/paste functionality to avoid mispelled usernames. Also use copy/paste for the content you plan to respond to. Anyone who manipulates what others have said are likely to get moderated for trolling in the news, videos, or feature comments around the site. Be nice to your fellow GameSpotters!
    - There is a comments word count, so you will want to make sure you are not grabbing entire quote comments if they are hefty. Be kind to comments readers by simply pulling statements you would like to respond to.
    - If you want the user to be notified that you responded to him or her, the @ sign works best in comments. The @ sign has not been tested to work inside the quote or spoiler tags.

    Spoiler

    Code:
    [spoiler] Do not believe everything you read. [/spoiler]
    Check the comments below to see an example of what this looks like.

    Tips

    - Avoid posting numerous spoilers tags for no real reason. Try to limit your messages to three spoilers per comment post.
    - Avoid using spoiler field unless it's important to do so. For instance, posting a spoiler saying "peekaboo" isn't what this feature is intended to be for news, videos, and feature comments. However, if you want to get all crazy and goofy in your personal blog's comments with the spoilers feature, go for it!
    - Now that you can post spoilers in comments, be sure to conceal information when you are posting in user blogs about a story plot and more!

    You may use this article to test these codes!

  • Raptr Account Linking

    Raptr is a service that makes it easy to track your in-game activity, see what your friends are playing on the PC and Xbox, and instant message all of your friends via one buddy list. GameSpot members can now link their Raptr accounts with their GameSpot accounts. You can start by going to this page to link or register a Raptr account.

    At this time, we’re in the linking stage. You have the opportunity to register and link your Raptr account. You may unlink your Raptr account by going to your options and clicking the account tab. There you will find a link titled "Unlink your Raptr account."

    You will want to check back in the near future for more exciting updates, such as tracking and viewing your achievements, comparing achievements with other GameSpotters, and much more!

  • Community Spotlight Video March 4, 2010

    This week's Today on the Spot community spotlight shares an image-guessing activity, game night, and the member spotlight, N-REAL. Enjoy!

    Watch in HD

  • Weekly Report: Feedback

    Announcements

    Box Art Hunt Activity
    GameSpot's first image-guessing game gives us the opportunity to test your box art knowledge! Box Art Hunt is a new activity that will be held in the General Games Discussion forum each month. Also, you do not have to get each of them right. You may guess what you think the image is to receive the new emblem as long as you have eight games mentioned.

    Upcoming Beta Giveaway
    Keep your eyes peeled for an announcement about a beta key giveaway for any of you who are car racing fanatics. More details to follow mid next week. You can check back here or check the front page for a link to the upcoming beta page.

    Make Something Unreal Contest Winners
    In other game community news, Epic Games announced its latest winners of the Make Something Unreal Contest. Keep an eye on their site for other related Unreal series community activities.

    Emblem Shout-Outs

    Quite a few people received an emblem over the past week. True_Avery received the Hotspot emblem for submitting the best homework last week. We also have some new user reviews you’ll be seeing! The top 100 Reviews or Top 500 reviewers emblem was granted to the following user profiles: Allicrombie, -SpikyBlueHero-, AlmightyMax, buft, KrAzY_Croat, msudude211, Paul_GameFury, smithbubbajones, Soniczero1993, TissueShoe, calvinsora, Dan_Lionheart, gdw0908, ehsan8888, Kbaily, J-man45, horrorboy, herviross_2, gunslinger_boy, pspitus, Pierst179, Gelugon_baat, mattsn22, Gameblender, GeekyDad, ZanarkandTidus, smm217, Crimsader, NuKkU, and bigd575.

    Member Spotlight

    This week’s member spotlight goes to TechnologoDoom for his blog about the best Xbox Live indie games. TechnologoDoom also created a union dedicated to indie-game content or other game deviations, so you’ll want to check it out.

    User Reviews

    PC
    - The Saboteur: Elk
    - World in Conflict: Gelugon_baat
    - Dragon Age: Origins: Garrison_Ford
    X360
    - BioShock 2: celtic1962
    - Halo 3: ODST: stephenage
    - Mass Effect 2: smbius and Justplain Lucas
    - Grand Theft Auto IV: Episodes from Liberty City: bigd575
    PS2/PS3
    - PixelJunk Shooter: c_rake
    - Heavy Rain: gunslinger_boy
    - UP: ebbderelict
    - God of War II: gdw0908

    Staff Fingerprints

    - Kevin VanOrd has posted a scary moment in Unreal 2 you might have missed. Tell him how much you enjoyed it so he’ll post more scary moments in games!
    - Chris Watters has his second edition of quotable Mass Effect 2: Volume 2 - Mordin Solus.
    - Giancarlo Varanini took numerous questions on the previews page and posted the answers about Metroid: Other M in his blog.

    Blog Bunker

    - Paul_GameFury shares thoughts about finishing Crysis.
    - Samson089 revisits an old massive multiplayer online game.
    - AK_the_Twilight dreams about great things for the Wii.

    Tip of the Week

    This week’s tip is about ways you can report feedback about GameSpot.com’s advertisements you see around the site. There are two different kinds of advertisements, so you’ll want to follow these steps in the revised advertisement feedback thread.

  • Weekly Report: Don't spoil it

    Announcements

    Upcoming Nintendo Event
    Nintendo opens its doors next Wednesday to give us an advance look at some of the biggest games it's got coming out this fall. While the list of games in attendance is still shrouded in mystery, we're expecting a big lineup of first- and third-party games, for both the Wii and the DS. While we can't say for sure, we're hoping to see more on Metroid: Other M, Super Mario Galaxy 2, and, dare we hope, a new Zelda game! Check back next week for further details!

    GameSpot AU Giveaways
    GameSpt AU is giving away a Logitech, DVD, and Alienware PC for those of you who reside in Australia. Check the GameSpot AU discussion forum with threads entitled "competition."

    GS UK Mag Game Night
    GameSpot UK is hosting a MAG (PS3) game night on Tuesday, February 23, from 7:30 p.m. GMT. Note: If you live in North America this would occur on Tuesday morning for us.

    Game Nights US Update
    For those of you who live in North America, we’re interested in knowing what times and days of the week work best for you. We’re in the process of having a poll dedicated to your preferences! Vote for the best times and days today.

    Emblem Alerts

    If you viewed and discussed the Now Playing episode of the Starcraft II beta, you should check your profile sometime early next week for the emblem. Those of you who discussed and watched the replay or the live stream from February 17 at 4pm PT through February 23 at 4pm PT should expect the emblem. On a related note, the top reviewers emblems (top 100 and top 500) will be handed out to a variety of GameSpot members sometime late next week. Erebus also received TheHotSpot homework emblem.

    Member Spotlight

    This week's member spotlight goes to SuperfastSonic for his blog about game cliches. His blog highlights his top 10 worst game cliches.

    Featured User Videos

    - Mass Effect 2 Video Review by KO4U
    - Modern Warfare 2 high explosive (veteran) by Shawcross

    User Reviews

    - Road Rash Win 95 (PC) Jedo
    - Mass Effect 2 (PC) LGTX
    - Ty the Tasmanian Tiger (PS2) ebbderelict
    - BioShock 2 (X360) AK_the_Twilight

    Staff Fingerprints

    - Andrew Park posted a teaser about another "all-time greatest" interactive feature similar to the game heroes feature we held last year.
    - Randolph Ramsey from GameSpot AU is asking GS AU members about any questions they might have on Final Fantasy XIII in an upcoming episode of GS AU Crosshairs.

    Blog Bunker

    - calvinsora tries to debunk gaming myths.
    - subyman has thoughts about the future of mobile gaming.
    - pakhair has a fourth anniversary on GameSpot blog.
    - Transilvanien has a list of his top 10 miscellaneous achievements.

    Tip of the Week

    This week’s tip is about plot spoilers in official GameSpot reviews. This was taken from a comment made by Kevin VanOrd in a user’s blog.

    Very rarely will you read an actual spoiler in a game review. It's our job to describe a game, and to do so without revealing any important plot points. It is true, however, that some readers and viewers are highly sensitive to any kind of description, no matter how trivial. Often, a developer or publisher will include a list of plot points they do not wish to be revealed, and we always adhere to those requests.

    On the other hand, readers may complain when a review reveals information the developer had repeatedly discussed in previews and interviews.

    It comes down to this: We are very careful to avoid spoilers, and each review goes through a quality assurance process that involves every member of the reviews team. However, every reader is different. If you feel particularly sensitive to this issue, you may want to avoid coverage of games you are certain you will purchase. We take great care not to spoil any game's story--but every reader has his or her own level of tolerance.

    Let us know if this week's tip helped you out by posting in the comments. Until next week!

  • Starcraft II Sneak Peek

    Want to get a sneak peek at Starcraft II? Drop by the Now Playing page as the editorial team plans to show off some of the Starcraft II gameplay in the next 45 to 60 minutes.

  • TOTS Community Spotlights

    Let's play catch up on the latest community video segments on Today on the Spot!

    Community Spotlight: February 9, 2010
    This segment shares the latest Valentine's Day activities, such as an e-card workshop and Off-topic lyrics contest, as well as the Child's Play charity event. The member spotlight went to fabz_95 for revealing the history of the System Wars magazine and the Child's Play charity.

    Community Spotlight: February 2, 2010
    This segment highlighted the Command and Conquer 4 beta key giveaway and two creative user videos. The members spotlight went to Stylee19 for his creative term, clone-o-phobes, for gamers who aren't too keen on look-alike games.

    Community Spotlight: January 26, 2010
    This segment revealed the latest emblems and editorial staff blogs. The member spotlight went to Starduke for sharing his witty comments about Dragon Age: Origins.

    Community Spotlight: January 12, 2010
    This segment revealed the GameSpotter of 2009 and the latest GameSpot members who were added to the Soapbox feature. The member spotlight went to Paul_GameFury for his blog about the Game of the Year.

  • Weekly Report: Will you be mine?

    Activities


    Microsoft X10 Coverage
    We posted an extensive amount of game coverage for MS X10, Microsoft’s press event. Drop by the coverage page and also watch the replay of the Today on the Spot live show.

    Now Playing: Heavy Rain
    If you are age 17 or older, head on over to the latest episode of the Now Playing page for a sneak peek at the game.

    TOTS Tuesday Show Update
    Monday is a US holiday, so there are no plans to have a Tuesday episode of Today on the Spot. This does mean that there will be no Community Spotlight next week.

    Valentine's Day Lyrics Writer Voting
    If you're a fan of the Off-Topic forum, drop by to see how creative it is and vote for the top five lyrics writers.

    Member Spotlight

    This week’s member spotlight goes to CrimsonMaher for his blog about the history of Tatsunoko. Here is an excerpt:

    “The game was called Tatsunoko Fight for the PlayStation and was developed by Takara. The game was a simplified 2D fighting game that used a four button setup (H Kick - L Kick, H Punch L Punch) with every character having their own set of special moves via Hadoken combos and one super combo that you could use when your meter filled up.”

    Staff Fingerprints

    - Chris Watters has Volume 1 of The Quotable Mass Effect 2. Check back for next week’s volume.
    - Luke Anderson attended a Lego Harry Potter event in central London.
    - Marco Martinez (files producer) shares some BioShock 2 spoilers.

    User Reviews

    - Mass Effect 2 (X360) celtic1962
    - Fate (PC) ChristianKiss
    - Dante's Inferno (X360) dracula_16
    - Necrovision (PC) Cunhao
    - Giants: Citizen Kabuto (PS2) ebbderelict
    - BioShock 2 (X360) shabulia
    - Mass Effect 2 (X360) 3KindgomsRandy

    Blog Bunker

    - dtujd2 takes a walk down Forza and Gran Turismo in memory lane.
    - Bozanimal chronicles his tour of the Nintendo World store in New York City with pictures and videos of his trip.
    - THE_DRUGGIE considers the live action cutscenes in PC and video games.
    - Pooyanh thinks it is time to switch to Starcraft 2.

    Emblems

    - buzz_clik received the TheHotspot homework emblem.
    - dtujd2 has been added to the Soapbox, so naturally he received the Soapbox emblem.
    - No one received the As Seen on GameSpot emblem because there weren't any featured user videos.

    Tip of the Week

    We're getting close to Valentine's Day. Have you handed out an e-card to your favorite GameSpotters? This week’s tip is about how you can share Valentine e-cards with other GameSpot members. Find out how you can do the following!

    - Grab an image url
    - Send a private message to a GameSpot member
    - Send a private message to numerous GameSpot members
    - Share an e-card via blog post to everyone!

  • Weekly Report: Activity Overload!

    Activities

    Be My Off-Topic Valentine
    If you are good at writing lyrics and enjoy posting in the Off-Topic forum, check out the lyrics contest for a chance at the Song Writing emblem and GameSpot profile points! The activity ends on February 10 at 10 a.m. PT.

    Valentine E-Card Workshop
    If you have been trying for the workshop e-card emblem, which will be revealed later this week, be sure to submit your e-card by February 10 at 10 a.m. PT.

    GSAU BioShock 2 Game Night
    GameSpot Australia has plans for a BioShock 2 game night on Wednesday, February 10, from 7 p.m. AEST on Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network.

    GSAU BioShock 2 Giveaway
    If you reside in Australia, GameSpot AU and 2K Games are hosting a creative-writing contest with some nifty BioShock goodies. The giveaway ends on February 26.

    GSAU Heavy Rain Backstage Passes
    PlayStation plans to showcase Heavy Rain in Sydney on Thursday, February 25. Twenty lucky GameSpot AU winners and their friends will be treated to a screening where they will learn more about the game from Heavy Rain developer David Cage and will view previously unseen and exclusive Heavy Rain content created especially for GameSpot AU readers. The competition ends on February 25.

    Halothon to Benefit Charity
    You might recall the HotSpot offering help to the Child’s Play charity over the years, and you now have another opportunity to help if you are a Halo fan. Jrabbit99 has recommended a Halothon event that will begin on February 9. Drop by his blog for details.

    Member Spotlight

    This week's member spotlight goes to fabz_95 for his blog revealing the history of the System Wars Magazine [old magazine issues]. After taking a seasonal break, the System Wars Magazine has made a return!

    Featured User Videos

    - System Wars News December 09 uploaded by Willy105
    - Top 10 Final Fantasy IV songs created by HollywoodRPG

    User Reviews

    - Mass Effect 2 (X360) 3KindgomsRandy
    - Serious Sam: The First Encounter (PC) Azghouls
    - Chime (X360) PAJ89
    - Bayonetta (X360) AK_the_Twilight
    - Geometry Wars: Galaxies (DS) c_rake
    - Call of Duty 2: Big Red One (GameCube) loopy_101

    Staff Fingerprints

    - David Good (site producer) shares his overwhelming thoughts about Mass Effect 2.
    - Sarju Shah (hardware editor) posted a response in the PC Hardware Discussion forum about VGA and HDMI output with graphics cards.
    - Sophia Tong (previews editor) is in catch-up mode with older pictures as she reveals a variety of Tokyo Game Show 2009 pictures.
    - Chris_Watters (reviews editor) discusses some N64 games that might have been considered underrated.
    - Marco Martinez (files producer) spotlights an indie game.
    - Tom Mc Shea (reviews editor) hopped in the System Wars forum to back up his latest review score for Dante’s Inferno.
    - Stanley Lin (site producer) gives some tips about how often we’ll be handing out C&C 4 beta keys.

    Blog Bunker

    - 24k_Solid_Gold believes parents need to be more informed about the game industry.
    - david_lck has a list of games that need an HD makeover.
    - jazzfan4 has a list of bargain games.
    - Crimsader has done some extensive research on the history and future of gaming.
    - chandu83 talks about being a PC gamer on a budget.
    - VXLbeast shares his favorite free online games.
    - dark_being posted some Mass Effect 2 game-ending spoilers.
    - LJS9502_basic would like to begin recognizing unsung Off-Topic forum heroes.
    - Sandpiper121PP has a fourth edition of her Saturday updates.
    - Bobzfamily has a list of PlayStation classics that he would like to see on PSN.

    Emblems

    - The Hotspot homework emblem was granted to hank_101.
    - The Firestarter emblem was granted to the following System Wars Magazine contributors: LegendofNerd, 789shadow, Brianfox1, darkspineslayer. fabz_95, k_smoove, Thunderdrone, AdobeArtist, angelkimne, Animal-Mother, blizzvalve, Ibacai, IronBass, jg4xchamp, psn8214, Skittles_McGee, Stevo_the_gamer, The_Game21x, and Wasdie.

    Tip of the Week

    This week’s tip is about writing game reviews. Kevin VanOrd wrote a thorough blog about what to consider when you are writing game reviews and editorials. While he does claim that you should take what he says lightly, take it seriously because a lot of his points can also be applied to forum posting and other written communications. Here’s a sneak peek at the points he covers.

    -- Know the rules of grammar and punctuation.
    -- Read a lot.
    -- Don't stick to a precise format.
    -- Avoid cliches.
    -- Remember that it's about the game.
    -- Think critically.

  • Dante’s Inferno Hidden Message

    If you are interested in participating in a little fun activity in the community, follow these instructions.

    1) Go to GameSpot.com's front page. Click HOME in the navigation menu.
    2) What browser are you using?

    Internet Explorer
    - Click VIEW and then SOURCE
    FireFox
    - Click VIEW and then PAGE SOURCE

    Once you are on the source page, scroll to find something related to Dante's Inferno. Good luck!

    HINT: There is a variety of content that is in green text so you'll want to keep scrolling until you find actual ASCII text.

  • Weekly Report: End of January

    Announcements

    Now Playing: BioShock 2
    In the latest Now Playing episode, Giancarlo Varanini and Shaun McInnis show us an early look at BioShock 2.

    C&C 4 Open Beta Keys
    We plan to continue to hand out Conquer 4 beta keys starting over the next week or so. The open beta is available to all GameSpot registrants worldwide.

    Valentine E-Cards Workshop
    We currently have about 60 e-cards submitted with only 12 days left to submit an e-card if you want a participation emblem. We’ll share more details about how you can send GameSpotters an e-card as we get closer to Valentine’s Day.

    Member Spotlight

    This week’s member spotlight goes to Stylee19 for his blog about clone-o-phobes, which happens to be mostly about Dante’s Inferno. While the blog might sway to a rant in some areas, he has a creative way of describing the reactions of others about games that look similar.

    Featured User Videos

    - Army of Two PT. 2 by danieleakes
    - 5 Annoyances of a Gamer by ShootumUP26

    Staff Fingerprints

    - Shaun McInnis believes BioWare almost has a masterpiece.
    - Brendan Sinclair has an opinion about Assassin Creed’s DLC.
    - Justin Calvert and Sophia Tong share tips about how to become a reviewer.
    - Dan Chiappini highlights the 2009 Aussie Readers' Choice Awards.
    - Randolph Ramsey answers some questions about Heavy Rain in the GameSpot Australia forum.

    Blog Bunker

    - Cube_of_MooN shares his thoughts about Mass Effect 2 DLC.
    - GabuEx has an evolution library.
    - scatterbrain007 believes people misunderstand co-op as a feature.
    - BessenStock shares a series of blogs about what he must have.

    Tip of the Week

    This week’s tip is about keeping your forum posts spoiler-safe. You can read buft’s blog for specific examples.

  • C&C 4 Open Beta Keys

    We plan to hand out Command & Conquer 4 beta keys starting at 9 a.m. PT tomorrow. The open beta will be available to all GameSpot registrants worldwide. The giveaway page outlines the game features, screenshots, and videos.